Thirty minor Upanishads

by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar | 1914 | 95,228 words

This book contains the English translation of thirty minor Upanishads.—Fourteen belonging to Vedanta, two are categorised as Physiological, three are Mantra, two are Sannyasa and the remaining nine are categorised as Yoga-Upanishads. These Upanishads are properly defined as the Aranya-portion of the Vedas (most ancient Hindu scriptures) and are so-...

Paingala Upanishad of Shukla-Yajurveda, Chapter II

Paiṅgala again addressed Yājñavalkya thus: "How did Īśvara, who is the creator, preserver, and destroyer and the Lord of all the worlds, acquire the state of Jīva?" To which Yājñavalkya replied: "I shall tell in detail the nature of Jīva and Īśvara, together with a description of the origin of the gross, subtle, and kāraṇa (causal) bodies. Hear attentively with one-pointed mind.

"Īśvara having taken a small portion of the quintuplicated mahā-bhūtas, (the great elements), made in regular order the gross bodies, both collective and segregate. The skull, the skin, the intestines, bone, flesh, and nails are of the essence of pṛthivī. Blood, urine, saliva, sweat and others are of the essence of āpas. Hunger, thirst, heat, delusion, and copulation are of the essence of agni. Walking, lifting, breathing and others are of the essence of vāyu. Passion, anger, etc., are of the essence of ākāś. The collection of these having touch and the rest is this gross body that is brought about by karma, that is the seat of egoism in youth and other states and that is the abode of many sins. Then He created prāṇas out of the collective three parts of Rajas-essence of the fivefold divided elements. The modifications of prāṇa are prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna; nāga, karma, kṛkara, devadatta and dhanañjaya are the auxiliary prāṇas. (Of the first five), the heart, anus, navel, throat and the whole body are respectively the seats. Then He created the karmendriyas out of the fourth part of the Rajas-guṇa. Of 'Olds' and the rest the mouth, legs, hands, and the organs of secretion and excretion are the modifications. Talking, walking, lifting, excreting, and enjoying are their functions. Likewise out of the collective three parts of Sattva-essence, He created the antaḥkaraṇa (internal organ). Antaḥkaraṇa,[1] manas, buddhi, citta, and ahaṅkāra are the modifications. Saṅkalpa (thought), certitude, memory, egoism, and anusandhāna (inquiry) are their functions. Throat, face, navel,[2] heart, and the middle of the brow are their seats. Out of the (remaining) fourth part of Sattva-essence, He created the jñānendriyas (organs of sense). Ear, skin, eyes, tongue, and nose are the modifications. Sound, touch, form, taste, and odour are their functions. Dik (the quarters), Vāyu, Arka (the sun), Varuṇa, Aśvini Devas, Indra, Upendra, Mṛtyu (the God of death), Prajāpati, the Moon, Viṣṇu the four-faced Brahma and Śambhu (Śiva) are the presiding deities of the organs. There are the five kośas (sheaths), viz., annamaya, prāṇamaya, manomaya, vijñānamaya, and ānandamaya. Annamaya sheath is that which is created and developed out of the essence of food, and is absorbed into the earth which is of the form of food. It alone is the gross body. The prāṇas with the karmendriyas (organs of action) is the prāṇamaya sheath. Manas with the jñānendriyas (organs of sense) is the manomaya sheath. Buddhi with the jñānendriyas is the vijñānamaya sheath. These three sheaths constitute the liṅgaśarīra (or the subtle body). (That which tends to) the ajñāna (ignorance) of the Reality (of Ātmā) is the ānandamaya sheath. This is the kāraṇa body. Moreover the five organs of sense, the five organs of action, the five prāṇas and others, the five ākāś and other elements, the four internal organs, avidyā, passion, karma, and Lamas—all these constitute this town (of body).

"Virāt, under the orders of Īśvara having entered this microcosmic body, and having buddhi as his vehicle, reaches the state of Viśva. Then he goes by the several names of Viñjānātma, Cidābhāsa, Viśva, Vyāvahārika, the one presiding over the waking gross body and the one generated by karma. Sūtrātmā, under the orders of Īśvara, having entered the microcosmic subtle body, and having manas as his vehicle, reaches the Taijasa state. Then he goes by the names of taijasa, prātibhāsika and svapnakalpita (the one bred out of dream). Then under the orders of Īśvara, he who is coupled with avyakta, the vehicle of Māyā having entered the microcosmic kāraṇa body, reaches the state of prajñā. He goes then by the names of prajñā, aviccinna, and pāramārthika and suṣupthi-abhimāni (the presider over suṣupti). Such sacred sentences, as Tattvamasi (That art thou) and others, speak of the identity with the Brahman of the Pāramārthika-Jīva enveloped by ajñāna, which is but a small particle of avyakta; but not vyāvahārika and prātibhāsika (Jīvas). It is only that caitanya which is reflected in antaḥkaraṇa that attains the three states. When it assumes the three states of jāgrat, swapna, and suṣupti, it is like a water-lift as if grieved, born and dead. There are five avasthās—jāgrat, swapna, suṣupti, mūrcchā (trance), and death. Jāgrat avasthā is that in which there is the perception of objects, of sound, etc., through the grace of the devatā presiding over each of them. In it, the Jīva, being in the middle of the eyebrows and pervading the body from head to foot, becomes the agent of actions, such as doing, hearing and others. He becomes also the enjoyer of the fruits thereof; and such a person doing karma for the fruits thereof goes to other worlds and enjoys the same there. Like an emperor tired of worldly acts (in the waking state), he strives to find the path to retire into his abode within. The svapna avasthā is that in which, when the senses are at rest, there is the manifestation of the knower and the known, along with the affinities of (things enjoyed in) the waking state. In this state Viśva alone, its actions in the waking state having ceased, reaches the state of Taijasa (of tejas or effulgence), who moves in the middle of the nādīs (nerves), illuminates by his lustre the heterogeneity of this universe which is of the form of affinities, and himself enjoys according to his wish. The suṣupti avasthā is that in which the citta is sole organ (at play). Just as a bird, tired of roaming, flies to its nest with its stomach filled, so the Jīva being tired of the actions of the world in the waking and dreaming states, enters ajñāna and enjoys bliss. Then trance is attained which resembles death, and in which one with his collection of organs quails, as it were, through fear and ajñāna, like one beaten unexpectedly by a hammer, club or any other weapon. Then death avasthā is that which is other than the avasthās of jāgrat, svapna, suṣupti, and trance, which produces fear in all Jīvas from Brahma down to small insects and which dissolves the gross body. The Jīva, that is surrounded by avidyā and the subtle elements, takes with it the organs of sense and action, their objects, and prāṇas along with the kāmic karmas and goes to another world, assuming another body. Through the ripening of the fruits of previous karmas, the Jīva has no rest like an insect in a whirlpool. It is only after many births that the desire of emancipation arises in man through the ripening of good karma. Then having resorted to a good Guru and served under him for a long time, one out of many attains mokṣa, free from bondage. Bondage is through non-inquiry and mokṣa through inquiry. Therefore there should always be inquiry (into Ātmā). The Reality should be ascertained through adhyāropa (illusory attribution) and apavād (withdrawal or recession of that idea). Therefore there should be always inquiring into the universe, Jīva and Paramātmā. Were the true nature of Jīva and the universe known, then there remains Brahman which is non-different from Pratyagātmā."

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The fifth aspect of antaḥkaraṇa is made to be itself, having the function of anusandhāna or inquiry, though others call it otherwise.

[2]:

Navel is the seat of chitta.

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